The Open Door
by Tsuruko-Chan
Summary: Hopefully the last and final of the many conclusions to “The Lady or the Tiger?”


_ Hopefully the last and final of the many conclusions to "The Lady or the Tiger?"_

_ By the evermore barbaric author_

The 5 Wise Men that were sent from their homeland to find an answer, had finally found an answer. Or really, a question that was the answer. No, more like an answer to a question that is the answer. . . or, never mind, what matters is that they found some type of schemed up solution. Five months had passed since they had arrived to this very odd land that was ruled by a very odd king and five months had passed since they had been given a very odd puzzle to solve. That puzzle was simply to determine the ending of a rather long and _slightly_ complicated story. 'Simply' was how the king had put it, but that was far from the truth. Not to mention also, if the Wise Men agreed upon the wrong ending, they would be thrown into the arena as that fateful young man whom had loved the princess had just years before.

"So what is your answer to my little question?" asked the king blandly. "You did finally agree upon the ending, didn't you?"

"Yes, but we're not so sure on –" Responded one of the 5.

"Not sure? Well, all the more time to think then! Guards, send them back to their chambers to think. They still seem to not quite agree on an obvious ending!"

"No! We have an ending, it's just we're not sure on how to best put it, your highness." Another one of the 5 yelled back quickly.

"Very well. Out with it! I haven't got all day, you know. A king has things to do, like eating, sleeping, laughing at the jesters, (and of course!) watching the justifiable trials at the arena. So, out with it!" The king yelled out. 

"First, may we ask you a tinsy question? It would help us in no way to solve our simple problem."

"Fine, fine; and it would be?"

"Where is your daughter now?"

"Daughter! Now, right now? Well, I think she's in some faraway land in some distant castle. I can't remember, it's been a year or so since I last saw her. Doesn't like to speak to me much. Can't figure out why. . ." Said the king reminiscently.

"Oh. Thank you. Well, our answer to your question about how the story about the prince had ended is finished." Politely responded one of the 5.

"Yes, and?"

"Well, we think the prince chose the women whom was frowning as his wife." Answered another of the 5.

"The frowning one? Yes! That is right, the prince whom had so rudely came here a year ago did indeed choose the frowning maiden. But what led you to pick that ending? It seemed that you were going to choose the smiling maiden as the ending." The king announced.

"Yes, but you see you have helped us there. We chose the frowning woman as the ending to that story because we believe that your daughter, the princess, was that woman." The 5 systematically replied.

"What!! My daughter to that oaf! How dare thee say that! To the arena with you all 

and –" The king bellowed out, but was cut off by his advisor whom said:

"My lord, your daughter did marry that 'oaf' as you put it. That is why she no longer lives here in court."

"Why – you're right! That is why she left and was angered at me. . ." And with that the king was thoughtful (which was a rare thing for barbarian, albeit semi, to do).

"Yes, that was why she was frowning because she didn't want to marry that foreign prince." Noted the 5. "So tell the ending that we sought long ago for the story of the Lady and the Tiger."

"Oh, that was very simple." Started the king. "So simple that it amuses me! Well, if you must know, being only fair, it was the – wait, I should first tell you something else. My daughter, the princess, wanted to send him to the tiger. She somewhat felt sorry for the poor beast and wanted it to have a pleasant meal. Not only that, but she was just tad bit spoiled and since she couldn't have him, no one could. So that was that." The told nicely and with a slight ring in his voice at the last sentence.

"Yes, so was it the tiger that then came out?" The 5 asked eagerly.

"Oh, heavens no! The tiger did not come out, it would have been good if that was the outcome." Joked the king with a smile on his plump face.

"Then it was the Lady? The man was married to the Lady!" The 5 cried out joyously for it seemed the ending had finally come.

"No! Of course not! It would then have been a memorable occasion for such an outcome! No, the Lady did not come out." Said the king with a tinge of lorn in his voice.

"But how can that be? If the Lady or the tiger did not come out, than whom or what did?!?" The 5 wise asked ludicrously.

"Nothing did. Prior to the trial, the tiger broke free and ran away (after all he was the most vicious in our land) and the Lady got cold feet and fled as well. So when the young man opened the door, nothing stood there, but a doorway open to the outside world. So simply he left."

"That was it!?" Exclaimed all of the 5 wise, for in all their years of being wise they had never heard of such a stupid tale nor ending.

"Yes. We never found him, but what a funny outcome! Even I, the king, wouldn't have suspected such a funny thing to happen!"

_ And with that the 5 rode away into the sunset, not happily ever after, _

_ but confused __and perhaps less wise than they were before._

Fin  



End file.
